Caracterización de arcillas naturales del cantón Catamayo y sus usos potenciales en la tecnología.

Abstract

As part of the development of the project proposals presented to the Technical University of Loja dedicated to research projects, the Semilla Project "Characterization of natural clays in the canton of Catamayo and its potential uses in technology" was proposed. This seeks to inventory, classify and analyze the potential of existing clays in the sector for possible industrial exploitation purposes.

For the present study, geological information, description of outcrops, petrographic, mineralogical, analysis of tectonic faults in the study area were carried out. In addition, all the collected data were represented in a geological map.

Collected 53 samples that were analyzed in the laboratory by performing X - ray Fluorescence tests to determine their chemical composition. An x - ray diffractometry was performed, where clay minerals from 20 representative samples were obtained, thus obtaining a higher concentration of Illita, Montmorillonite, Caolinite, and Vermiculite, physical-mechanical tests of certain samples were carried out using Atterberg limits test having as results that the clays in the Cuenca of Catamayo have high and medium range plasticity, and also carried out analysis to determined particle size.